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<\/a>Yes… You can hear corn grow<\/p><\/div>\n
“Hey there fat boy!”…\u00a0 We thought someone was looking over the fence at Paul but it was Vicky admiring the tomatoes!<\/p>\n
<\/a>The “maters” are gettin’ big<\/p><\/div>\n
Batch number two of the corn this year is well underway!\u00a0 The tassels are appeared (the male part of the plant) and the girls, being a bit shy, are about to appear in the next two weeks!<\/p>\n
<\/a>Our second batch of corn is getting ready to…. mate?!<\/p><\/div>\n
The cucumbers are getting ready to be sacrificed again.\u00a0 We made refrigerator pickels out of them because a) it is so easy, and b) they taste so good!<\/p>\n
Did You Know? The term pickle is derived from the Dutch word pekel, meaning brine. In the U.S. and Canada, and sometimes Australia and New Zealand, the word pickle alone almost always refers to a pickled cucumber, except when it is used figuratively. <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Pack the pickles into the jars. Trim the ends if they stand more than 1\/2 inch below the top of the jar. Pack them in as tightly as you can without smashing the cucumbers. Bring the pickling brine to a boil: Combine the vinegar, water, and salt in a small sauce pan over high heat. Add pickling spices, peppercorns, onions, and garlic!\u00a0 Wait! Refrigerated dills are cucumbers marinated for 1 day to 1 week in a salt and spice brine (in the fridge) and then stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. No canning is required! More refrigerator pickets are on their way!<\/p><\/div>\n No… The plant and tomatoes are normal.\u00a0 When the plant starts to produce, many of the lower leaves will turn brown\u00a0It’s natural as the season progresses for lower leaves to yellow and brown and even fall off. This is particularly true if you’ve had temperatures higher than normal, which creates stress in plants. Furthermore, as summer progresses, plants are working to both survive and produce enough fruit to ensure their species survival in perpetuity (that is, seeds!).<\/p>\n This is an Indigo Rose tomato.\u00a0This tomato is ready to harvest when the color of the fruit changes from a shiny blue-purple cast to a dull purple-brown<\/p>\n No! They are not bad… They are supposed to be this color<\/p><\/div>\n They made a great addition to a mixed salad!<\/p><\/div>\n So after working in the garden, we went to the grocery store to get the essentials… No food, just other “stuff”.<\/p>\n On our way to Torrance we got a text from Gary, Lilly’s grandpa.\u00a0 He took her out to lunch and got “the stink eye”.\u00a0 We laughed ourselves silly!<\/p>\n Gary must have tried to sneak a french fry!<\/p><\/div>\n We then headed north toward Torrance where Charlie is playing in the baseball championship today.\u00a0 After the game, we are going to celebrate Fathe’r Day at Santino’s Italian Restaurant on Torrance Blvd… Tomorrow Joe’s family will be at three baseball games and we will be at Disneyland.<\/p>\n We met up with Michele and Tony (Amy’s parents) along with John (Tony’s son) and the Liles’.\u00a0 John had his twins with him and of course Charlie and Alex were there and in rare form!\u00a0 Great fun with family!<\/p>\n Daddy Paul made the fatal mistake of telling Joe that “eating ice cream with chopsticks and it automatically reduces calories to zero”… Joe immediately got two knives\u00a0 and tried it… Amy and Sue were cracking up!<\/p>\n They say Joe and Paul look just alike… Poor Amy and Sue!<\/p><\/div>\n OK… It is 7:00 PM and time go to dancing at Garden Grove.\u00a0 We high-tailed it down the 405 freeway for 35 minutes and arrived to enjoy an hours worth of dancing.\u00a0 We met up with the Branders, the Woolstons, and Norma & Jerry.\u00a0 Great fun with friends… The DJ was not so good tonight although in all fairness, we did not make any requests.<\/p>\n We went home to crash! We watch a Hallmark mystery movie and then some Frazier before call it a day!<\/p>\n Side Note: We are blessed with friends and family!\u00a0 So nice to have dinner with Joe and his family!\u00a0 His lovelu bride Amy and her family are A#1.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Paul spent a couple of hours doing gardening chores.\u00a0 It is always so peaceful in the garden listening to the corn grow! Actually, you can hear (in a very quiet field) the microscopic breaking of cells as the plant skyrockets, … Continue reading
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